Why Choose Us?

At Scott Brown Risk Management Surveyors we pride ourselves on our attention to detail and level of customer service. Our surveyors are totally professional and have a wealth of experience and expertise that is hard to match within the industry. The profiles below will give you an opportunity to learn a little more about our team, and their qualifications and experience.

James Scott Brown MRICS, Managing Director

James Scott Brown started his career as an auctioneer and valuer having studied art and antiques and associated business studies. Thereafter he worked for an international firm of auctioneers and became head of department within three years, following which the insurance world beckoned and he became a fine art loss adjuster.
After 20 years of specialising in perils claims for the high net worth and residential market place, James has immense experience and is uniquely placed to bring all this experience to bear in advising insurance companies, policy holders and brokers alike, and how to reduce the risk and exposure to losses.

Mark Dunscombe

Mark started his career in Bristol in 1980 working for a Fine Art Auction business. Thereafter he studied surveying and chattels valuation at Southampton College (now University).

After leaving college he gathered experience in Cornwall prior to moving to London and within two years, he set up a general Fine Art Auction house. Following the success of this business, Mark decided to relocate to Devon where he pursued his interests in fine art and project managed the restoration of a Grade II Listed town house and then an early 17th Century court house, as well as being an advisor on other similar projects.

He has been providing risk appraisal and rebuilding valuation for the high net worth market for the past six years including large Scottish estate properties and similar properties throughout England and Wales.

Joanna Fitzgerald ACII

Joanna FitzGerald has been working as a Risk Management Surveyor for the past 10 years following the completion of a Building Surveying Degree at Sheffield Hallam University.

After training as a commercial surveyor and completing the ACII exams at Independent Insurance, Joanna has worked for NIG Insurance and then XL insurance undertaking commercial and high net worth insurance surveys nationally.

Matthew Ward – Risk Management Consultant

Matthew has almost three decades experience in the high net worth residential property insurance market, his career beginning as a Risk Management Surveyor for a well-known residential household insurer.

Having held senior management roles with leading UK insurers and brokers, Matthew has worked as an independent consultant since 2015 helping Scott Brown Risk Managements Surveyors develop the Desktop Validation (DTV) and Rebuild Cost Assessment (RCA) proposition to Private Clients, High Net Worth brokers and UK High Value Home underwriters in the UK.

Matthew also undertakes survey and appraisal work for several of the UK’s leading High Net Worth insurers on behalf of Scott Brown Risk Management Surveyors.

Paul Feather, BA(Hons), PG(Dip), DipCII, ICIOB

A chartered insurance professional and qualified building surveyor, whose insurance career has been within the claims and loss adjusting environment.

Paul qualified initially with an International Business & German degree from Northumbria University. Having started his insurance career with Commercial Union in 1997 he then undertook further professional studies and holds Dip (CII) accreditation. His loss adjusting profession evolved into the building claims environment with Cunningham Lyndsey, Royal & Sun Alliance and finally Halifax General Insurance.

This was supported by the completion of a PG (Dip) Building Surveying qualification from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2006 and subsequent incorporated membership of the Chartered Institute of Building. Paul moved out of loss adjusting in 2007 and established a satellite office for a successful approved insurance contracting business. Subsequent to this he was the surveying manager for a nationwide independent claims validation company. In 2010 he established his own consultancy business undertaking independent insurance validation surveys and risk management surveys, and has been providing surveys for SBRMS since 2014.

Johnny Goodman BSc MRICS

Johnny qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2000 having completed an Estate Management degree at The University of Northumbria in Newcastle. After two years of residential sales and lettings in Saffron Walden, Essex, and a year in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, undertaking commercial property agency work, Johnny has now spent a further seventeen years carrying out commercial property sales, lettings and acquisition work in Cambridge and the surrounding area. This includes ten years at national firm Lambert Smith Hampton, where he was head of the Cambridge office’s agency department.

Johnny has been providing risk appraisals and building re-instatement cost assessments for Scott Brown Risk Management since 2015 whilst running his own commercial property business in Cambridge which he set up in 2009.

Marita Bianco

Marita Bianco gained a First Class degree in Architectural Technology from Sheffield Hallam University, following graduation she worked for various architects before setting up her own business undertaking projects such as loft conversions and house extensions. She has also spent many years working closely with interior designers and bespoke kitchen designers such as Smallbone and Bascomb and Drew.

In addition to architectural work, Marita is a qualified Design and Technology teacher and has both taught in the UK and lectured at a University overseas.

Sebastian Pryke MA PhD FSA Scot

Sebastian was Senior Risk and Valuation Advisor within the Art and Private Client division at Hiscox, the specialist High Net Worth insurer, for almost a decade. This included particular responsibility nationwide for building valuations and country houses, and geographically for Scotland and Ireland.

He has recently established his own consultancy providing services to the HNW and Fine Art insurance industry, as well the wider Antiques and Heritage sectors.

He started his career as an Historic Buildings inspector at Historic Scotland and was then a Fine Art auctioneer for ten years. During this time he was a Director of Phillips Scotland and Head of Furniture at Lyon & Turnbull, where he was instrumental in helping to re-establish the firm as one of the UK’s leading independent auctioneers.

Sebastian wrote his doctorate at St Andrews University on the Eighteenth Century Furniture Trade in Edinburgh and has contributed to many academic Journals, as well as more popular magazines. He has lectured widely, including for NADFAS and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and appeared several times on television and radio.

Country houses, especially their creation and development, are a particular passion and Sebastian was for a long time Secretary and Committee member of the Historic Houses Association for Scotland. He made significant contributions to Hopetoun House’s successful application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and Christie’s catalogue of the contents of Dumfries House, as well as the recent monograph about Dumfries House published by RCAHMS.

Craig Farrimond

After graduating from Stafford University with an honours degree in Business Studies, Craig worked with Unilever and Grand Metropolitan in a range of managerial positions leading to senior area and regional operational roles. Subsequent positions took him into the field of commercial and retail property management where he was involved in the acquisition, development and disposal of assets.

Other responsibilities included project management and planning related roles for a regional licenced retailing company.
Further property related positions were taken with a national property organisation before a move into the High Net Worth market risk management surveying in 2010.

Lee Chapman Dip CII, Cert NEBOSH

Lee has 25 years experience surveying historic buildings, High Net Worth residential properties, estates, and commercial businesses.
Having previously held training and management roles for leading UK insurers including Zurich Financial Services and Ecclesiastical
He has particular experience in assessing rebuild costs for historic property including some of the major cathedrals and ecclesiastical commercial and residential property portfolios in the UK and Europe.

Lee has worked as an independent consultant since 2008 undertaking survey and appraisal work for several of the UK’s leading High Net Worth and commercial insurers undertaking work on behalf of Scott Brown Risk Management Surveyors since early in 2013.

He holds a Diploma from the Chartered Insurance Institute and a National Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety.

Clive Hawkett

Clive started his career in engineering and metrology and moved into the insurance industry eight years ago, initially managing High net worth claims for an antique and fine art restoration company.

Developing his interest in building renovation, Clive moved to loss adjusting, dealing with both the domestic and commercial market across the country. He joined SBRMS in 2012.

Nicola Porton

Nicola Porton graduated from Bristol Polytechnic with an Estate Management degree. Following graduation she worked as a high net worth surveyor for Independent Insurance covering Southern England. Nicola then decided to become a Chartered Surveyor and joined Cushman & Wakefield where she trained and went on to become a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Shortly after taking a career break to start a family she worked as a consultant surveyor for Chubb for two years. She has now worked as an independent surveyor since 2009 and is well versed in advising insurance companies on rebuild assessments for high net worth properties

Michelle Connolly

Risk Management Consultant

Michelle graduated from Caledonian University with a BSc in Quantity Surveying and is a member of the RICS. After graduation Michelle initially worked for a private surveying practise in Scotland.

In 1991 Michelle joined Chubb Insurance Company of Europe as an appraiser developing expertise in architecture, building construction and fine art. Michelle gained a diploma in Art History from Birbeck College, University of London in 1997.

Kate Lisney

Kate graduated from Cardiff University with a Management degree. She worked in the city before taking a career break to have a family. Prior to joining Scott Brown Risk Management as Office Manager and survey co-ordinator, Kate worked at a college of further and higher education as a Business Manager.

Angus Carnegie ACIH, AiS

Angus commenced his general practice surveying training with Scotland’s largest Chartered Surveyors in 1982 then moved into property management surveying from 1986. He completed his building & surveying training at Kingsway Technical College and with the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Angus continued working in the property & estate management sector up until 2005 managing a wide variety of large residential portfolios for both private and public sector clients. Since then he has operated as a validation and risk surveyor, initially for Aviva Insurance, where he undertook their own in- house insurance & loss adjusting training courses. In 2009 a successful career as a freelance insurance validation & building surveyor and HNW risk management appraiser began with many market leader clients in the insurance industry and this continues to be Angus’ main business focus.

Angus has been providing risk appraisals and building re-instatement cost assessments for Scott Brown Risk Management since 2013.

Karen Baker BA(Hons)

Karen graduated with an honours degree in Fine Arts Valuation from Southampton. Studies also included architecture, jewellery design and valuation, and art market trends. Karen worked with an auction house for many years before joining Chubb Insurance as a High Net Worth Appraiser working in the UK and across Europe for nearly a decade. Karen has regular contact with specialist builders, architects and interior designers to ensure that she keeps track of costings and innovations to ensure that she holds up to date knowledge on the latest techniques.

Over the last 18 years Karen has visited many large country houses, city townhouses, considered specialist interiors, assessed important art collections, and considered their risk management offering constructive risk recommendations where appropriate. Working as an independent consultant since 2007 conducting appraisal work for many brokers and High Net Worth insurers in the UK and Europe.